by Kim Redford
“Just what I wanted to hear.” Slade pulled off his helmet, giving Shane a sideways glance. “You just had to go and create some drama out there, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t want you to be disappointed since you lost the bet.”
“Lost?” Jim Bob hollered. “How do you figure that? We couldn’t even find you.”
“I was marking the middle to make sure there was no doubt about who won,” Shane said with a straight face as he teased them.
“It’s possible,” Craig said, backing up his partner.
“Did you fall and bump your head?” Slade pushed his point, glancing mischievously all around.
Shane shucked off his gloves, tucked them in a pocket, then walked over to his truck, opened the door, and pulled out his cell. “I’m not agreeing or disagreeing about who won our bet, but I’m a magnanimous kind of guy.” He hit speed dial. “Maybelline, Shane Taggart here. I’m sending you a bunch of sorry-looking firefighters for pie. Give them as much as they can eat. I’ll cover the check tomorrow. Right. Slade, too.” He clicked off as he gave the others a challenging look to agree or disagree with him.
“I’m suspicious of your motives,” Slade said, pulling off his helmet.
“I’ve only got the best firefighter’s interests at heart.” Shane hit speed dial again. “Shane Taggart here. Hardworking firefighters will be coming to your place for beer and pretzels. I’ll pay their bill tomorrow. Right. Let them drink their fill.” Shane set his phone back in his truck, wondering how his generosity would be taken by the others.
“Now I’m really waiting for the other shoe to drop.” Slade nodded at Jim Bob. “You believe what you’re hearing?”
“Sure,” Jim Bob said. “We ought to have him mark the middle every time. I don’t care why he’s covering our tabs, but let’s get going before he changes his mind.”
“Okay.” Slade motioned toward Shane. “We’ll take the gear and rigs back to Hedy, then meet you at the Chuckwagon.”
“You go on,” Shane said. “I’ve got something else to do.”
“What?” Slade looked around the group in astonishment. “When’s he ever got anything better to do?” He stopped, gave Shane a suspicious look, then glanced down the hill toward the Wildcat Den. Finally, he gave an all-knowing grin. “Guess you wouldn’t have any reason to stop by the radio station to give them an update, would you?”
Shane shrugged, wondering how Slade had guessed his intentions so fast—namely that he wanted to get rid of the other firefighters so he could cut a straight line to Eden.
“Eden Rafferty’s back in town and suddenly Shane don’t have time for his old firefighting buddies.” Slade gave everyone a sad look while obviously trying to contain a big grin. “That just takes the cake—or pie in this case.”
“Go on.” Shane pointed toward the other side of the double gate, then down the ranch’s main lane. “Here come the boosters. Y’all need to get back to Hedy and give her a report.”
“Wait till she hears how you stood us up for a ladylove,” Slade said in his deep voice.
“I never said that’s what I was going to do.” Shane quickly shrugged out of his jacket. “I just said—”
“You’re leaving more for the rest of us. I’m headed for the Hall.” Craig tipped his helmet to Shane, then tucked it under his arm. “We’ll catch you tomorrow.”
“Right,” Shane said, hardly hearing Craig’s words because he was already thinking about Eden and how maybe he’d gotten a burn or abrasion or something on his face that she could tend to—up at his house.
As the firefighters piled into their vehicles and headed down the road, he got into his pickup and followed behind them. When he reached the turnoff to KWCB, he hesitated as he watched the others continued on to Wildcat Road.
He noticed a small sedan in a nondescript color, probably almost invisible anywhere except pickup country, parked on the side of the road just beyond the entry to his ranch, which was odd.
He glanced up at the Den, then back at the car. He didn’t want to take the time, but he’d better check in case the stranger needed help. He took off down the lane, figuring that, if necessary, he could call for a tow into Wildcat Bluff.
Even odder, when he reached the cattle guard to exit his ranch, the vehicle tore off, sending gravel flying as the driver gunned his engine and zigzagged down Wildcat Road, as if not wanting to be seen. Shane caught a glimpse of a person wearing sunglasses and a hood pulled up around the face. A man, he figured, but he couldn’t be sure.
All in all, it was definitely one for the books, but with the fire in the local news, lookie-loos weren’t out of the question. He’d also been trained to keep an eye out for someone watching a fire because frequently arsonists stayed around to see their handiwork. In this case, he knew fires had been set on the Lazy Q, but it was within the realm of possibility that somebody could have taken advantage of the situation to start an extra fire closer to the radio station and his ranch house. Maybe his mind was working overtime, but he still didn’t like a stranger watching the ranch, not with Eden living there again.
For now, there wasn’t much he could do, but he’d definitely keep a lookout for that vehicle or somebody else lurking nearby. He rubbed his face on the back of his sleeve and turned his truck around, heading for the radio station. And Eden.
Chapter 13
Eden paced back and forth across the scarred oak floor of the Wildcat Den, checking from one window to the other for any sign of Shane or the other firefighters. She could smell smoke inside, and she could see smoke outside billowing up out of the pastures into the sky overhead. Neither was a good sign. Still, Hedy kept reassuring her by phone that their firefighters were on the job. Yes, but were they winning the battle of the blaze? And even more important, were they safe? She couldn’t help but worry.
She paced faster, glancing through the window of the studio, where Jack continued talking to the county’s listeners, making chitchat, spinning vinyl, and giving weather reports—unfortunately, dry and gusty. She’d never felt so tense in a radio station before because she was trained to be calm, like a firefighter, no matter how horrific the circumstances. The public needed her voice to be steady and confident when she shared updates and news. Right now, she didn’t feel calm or steady, and she knew she’d be hard-pressed to speak with her throat so tight. Fortunately, Wildcat Jack was as smooth and reliable as ever while he relayed information and gave reassurance.
She glanced at the ancient square rotary phone on one corner of the station’s beat-up wooden desk. She’d placed her cell beside it, old technology versus new technology, black versus color, heavy versus light. Both were excellent communication devices. She didn’t care which rang first, just as long as Hedy or Shane called with good news.
She waited, pacing even faster as if every footstep would bring Shane, and all the other firefighters, safely home. She felt drawn back into the center of Wildcat Bluff’s community, and with that feeling, she wondered how she could have been so bold as to suggest to Shane that they have no-strings-attached sex. Maybe that’d be okay in LA, Phoenix, or Dallas. But in Wildcat Bluff? She felt like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. What would people think if they knew what she wanted from him? Or maybe nobody would be surprised at all… He was definitely a hunk of a cowboy. Still, she wondered about the small-town versus big-city viewpoint. Could she really fit back into this world?
As she pondered her future in Wildcat Bluff and the future of the Den, she heard footsteps on the stairs outside. She whirled, her heart in her throat. Paramedics due to injuries in the field? Firefighters with evacuation orders? Sheriff and deputies here to close down Wildcat Road?
As the front door squeaked open on unoiled hinges, she felt her breath catch in anticipation. She’d be calm and helpful and supportive no matter what the news or situation. If she couldn’t speak past the lump in her throat, she had pen and paper nearby on
the desk. One way or another, she’d communicate. She’d do anything to help Shane and the other firefighters.
When Shane stepped inside, she felt as if she’d been granted a reprieve. His gear was covered in soot and dust and his work boots were caked with dirt. A broken twig had somehow lodged under a corner of the Wildcat Bluff Fire-Rescue shield on the front of his red helmet. He smelled of the great outdoors. Wild, free, dangerous. And burnt. He looked okay—more than okay. He looked gloriously alive. And he was smiling, so all the firefighters must be okay, and the station and the ranch as well. He looked good enough to hold to her heart.
He pulled off his helmet and tucked it under one arm. He rubbed a hand across his face, smearing soot and dirt and sweat in dark patches, then he pushed back his damp hair. Despite it all, he gave a big grin of triumph.
She returned his smile even as she froze, feeling rooted to the floor because she was suddenly overcome with one thought and one thought only—he was her hero.
With this sudden rush of clarity, she realized he’d always been her hero because he’d been there for her through thick and thin when they were young. How had she ever thought she could feel no emotion for him? How had she ever thought sex could be enough between them? How had she ever thought he was just a passing fancy?
Yes, he was her hero. But he was so much more than that. He was a star in Wildcat Bluff. And in her world. He’d always said she was the big star from hometown to Tinseltown, but he was wrong. He was the bigger star because he put his life on the line to save worlds from going up in flames, while she simply reported on them while staying safely at a distance. Suddenly, she felt shy in his presence.
“Wanted to let you know we’re all safe.” He coughed several times. “Ranch is safe. Fire is controlled. Wildcat Spring isn’t in danger.”
He obviously expected her to say something. She wanted to reply, but her throat was too tight with all the emotions swirling within her.
“Smoke steal your voice? It almost did mine.” He coughed harder, trying to clear his lungs.
Still, she didn’t speak. How did you talk to a superstar? And then she was struck by another revelation. Had he seen her as a superstar when they were younger and felt shy in her presence just as she now did with him? If so, they stood on either side of a wide river with only a narrow hanging bridge dangling between them. One wrong step onto the bridge could set it swaying, swinging, tossing either of them into the rapids far below.
They weren’t just on opposing sides of Wildcat Spring and everything they both held dear—they saw each other as bigger than life, with all the baggage that entailed when trying to close the gap between them. She didn’t see how they could overcome either monumental obstacle.
And then she realized she was overthinking the situation, just as she’d been doing with everything in her life since Graham had destroyed her world. She didn’t trust her own instincts anymore. She tended to second guess every little thing. Somehow, someway, she needed to learn to trust again. She needed to get her life back together—not just for herself but because Shane deserved it, too.
“Are you okay?” Concern darkened his hazel eyes.
“Yes,” she finally managed to whisper, feeling more frustrated than ever that her voice wasn’t at full strength. “I was just so worried about you and the other firefighters.”
“We’re all okay now,” he reassured in a husky voice.
She reached out to him because he appeared as rooted to his spot on the floor as she was to her spot. Maybe they’d moved too fast with each other. Maybe they needed time and space to develop their relationship. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything about sex earlier. And there she went again, analyzing pros and cons when she simply wanted to throw her arms around him.
He stepped toward her, moving to bridge the distance between them with his body as well as the longing in his eyes. “I just stopped by to give you and Jack the good news.”
“Thanks.” She felt as if their words were superfluous, repetitive. Their bodies were speaking for them, drawing them together like two magnets that couldn’t stay apart.
Just as they touched fingertips, the studio door burst open, causing them to jerk apart.
Wildcat Jack poked his head out, looked around, and gave Shane a thumbs-up. “Saw you out there and figured you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have good news. Besides, Hedy called to tell me the fire was contained. Congratulations!”
“Thank you,” Shane said. “Wildcat Bluff Fire-Rescue deserves all the credit. We’re a team.”
“After saving lives and property, what’s on the agenda now?” Jack cocked his head to one side and grinned as he gave Shane a once-over. “Are you planning to leave soot all over the county?”
“Yep,” Shane said, teasing right back. “I’m wearing enough to coat the entire area.”
“Nobody’ll care,” Eden said. “You’re our hero.”
Jack chuckled as he looked from her to Shane. “That right? You’re our new Wildcat Bluff hero? I thought you were Mr. June.”
Shane gave a big sigh as he looked down, tried to dust off some of the debris covering the front of his jacket, and stopped the effort as soot drifted to the floor. “If I never hear another word about that calendar, it’ll be too soon.”
“Never mind me,” Jack said. “I’m just jealous Sydney didn’t think to put out an old geezers calendar. Now that’d have really brought in the bucks. Get to be my age, and we guys are as scarce as hen’s teeth. I’m here to tell you that gives us an exalted status all our own. If I didn’t want to cook another meal for the rest of my life, there’d be plenty of ladies willing to do me proud.”
“Maybe they’d even pack a picnic basket for a bit of skinny-dipping this summer.” Shane teased Jack back with a big grin.
Jack laughed harder, giving Eden a just-shy-of-embarrassed look. “I wish, but I’m not sure my heart’s up to it anymore.”
“You’ve always been a heartthrob,” Eden said, smiling. “I’m sure you always will be.”
“If you’re looking for a PR job, you’ve got it.” Jack gave her a wink, then turned back to Shane. “What are you doing hanging around here now that all the excitement’s over?”
Shane backed up a step and put his hand on the doorknob. “Yeah, I guess I’d better go and get cleaned up and all.”
“Where’s the crew?” Jack demanded, trying to see behind Shane.
“Pretty quick, they’ll be down at the Chuckwagon eating pie or over at the Hall drinking beer or sarsaparilla.”
“And they left you behind to…?”
“I’m buying,” Shane said, shrugging his wide shoulders.
“Okay by me. I’m eating and drinking.” Jack quickly turned toward the sound studio. “I’ve worked as hard as you firefighters this afternoon, so I deserve a reward, too.”
“Right,” Shane said.
“Give me a chance to spool up Rae Dell, so she keeps the county company while I stuff my gullet.” Jack opened the door, then looked back. “Eden, are you coming with me?”
“I, well, no. I’d better close up here.”
Jack glanced quickly from Eden to Shane, then back again. “Don’t bother. I’ll return and tidy up. Seems to me you better get this firefighter up to his house, get him cleaned up, and get him fed before he collapses from smoke inhalation or whatnot.”
Eden quickly focused on Shane. “I didn’t think. Smoke. Are you hurt?”
“That’s right,” Jack said. “Hedy told me Shane got too much smoke in his lungs but is too proud to admit it or go to the clinic.”
“Shane!” Eden felt horrified that she hadn’t realized he’d been injured and that’s why he wasn’t out celebrating with the other firefighters. “I’ll drive you to the clinic right now.”
“No.” Shane held out a hand to stop her.
“Hedy said best thing for him was to give
him a lot of liquids and maybe a sojourn in his hot tub to flush out all the impurities.”
“I never heard that remedy before.” Eden sounded skeptical. “Hedy said that?”
“Or something close to it.” Jack backed into the studio. “Best get on your way. Shane’s looking pretty unsteady on his feet.”
“Hot tub?” Shane asked, giving Jack a puzzled look.
“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” Jack glared before he slammed the door behind him.
“Hot tub?” Eden echoed. “Aren’t you already too hot?”
“Steam, I guess.” Shane nodded with a confident smile. “I think they’re trying to explain I need to breathe steam to clean out my lungs.”
“That makes a little more sense.”
“Now that Jack mentioned it, I am feeling a little woozy on my feet.” He coughed into his hand.
“I knew it!” Eden jerked open a drawer of the desk, pulled out her purse, and stuffed her cell into it. “It’s just like you to be hurt and not want to admit it.”
“I’m not that bad off. I just need to get home.”
“If you’re sure about the clinic, I’ll drive you up to your house.”
“Not in that VW, you won’t.”
“I don’t know what you’ve got against poor little Betty.”
“Don’t get me started.” He felt around in his pocket, pulled out his keys, and tossed them to her. “Let’s take my truck for safety’s sake. You can drive.”
She caught his keys in midair and curled her fingers around them, feeling the heat from his body start delicious warmth that spread throughout her.
“I don’t want to put you out.” He leaned wearily back against the doorjamb. “You could just run me home before you join the others for pie or beer or—”
“Stop right there. You’re not going to distract me with goodies.” She opened the door, then urged him outside where the stench of fire still hung in the air. “I remember that time you fell off Ole Blaze, conking your head and splitting it right open. I’d never seen so much blood.”
